One of the unique qualities of a microblogging site like Pinterest is that
it creates a conversation that includes all of its users. According to
DeVoe, the effect is something "akin to a parlor or salon, with numerous,
longer conversations going on at the same time." (213). This enables the
introduction of common themes or trends within the community and
collaborations between members. It is an "extended, responsive,
evolving, back-and-forth interaction" (Perl qtd. in Dahman, 9). Recently,
Pinterest even began offering collaborative boards, where multiple users
can pin to the same board. This allows for users to communicate much
more directly than if they were following one another and creates a more
interactive group. Harris refers to "online collaborative activities" like
this as "telecollaboration" (qtd. in Cifuentes, 136). The collaborative pinboard
below allows many bloggers to pin photos from their most recent posts to the same board
in order to keep Pinterest users up to date.
In order to "participate effectively and productively in any literate practice," like Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook "people must be socialized into it" (Lankshear and Knoebel qtd. in Keegan, 169). This socialization happens simply by observing the actions of other users and the patterns in the community, "learning what sorts of general themes go over well" (Keegan, 175). Pinterest offers a page of pins that have been popular recently, so users can keep up with what is going on in the larger Pinterest community.
On pinterest, there are several types of images and boards that come up very frequently. Some of the trends that can be easily seen on the site are images of cute animals, memes from other sites, and variations on the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster. By posting or referencing this type of image, pinners can become more involved in the community. This strategy can also work against a user's popularity in the community, as they can be seen as someone "who posts a cliche in an effort purely to [gain followers]" (Keegan, 174). Originality is valued because users become accustomed to seeing several images repeatedly.
Refinery 29, a lifestyle site, published an article titled "7 Easy Ways to Get More Followers on Pinterest" that listed "choice content" as a way to gain recognition on the site. They said that "repinning is a given", but suggest finding original images. People who have not been involved in a microblogging community might think that wanting to get followers and have people repin your images seems pointless, but as a user of Fark.com said, "you get votes, you feel accepted" (qtd. in Keegan, 174). Receiving positive feedback from the community can "validat[e] one's self-concept" (Stern, 222) so there is definitely an appeal to collect an audience. Some users pay quite a bit of attention to their audience. It is even reasonable to think that "the audience is being collected, analyzed, and stored" (Hewitt, 524) in order to increase viewers and followers. Social validation, having followers and other users repinning and liking your pins, makes you feel like part of the community and makes you want to be more involved.
The overall attitude of Pinterest users seems to be something along the lines of "how things should be" and inspiration is a popular topic on the site. Users post things that inspire them to exercise, design, cook, craft, see the world, be positive, learn, shop, etc. Looking into the collaborative design process and the ways that designers are influenced by one another and by history can illustrate this. Just as "museum collections can be a powerful ally to the designer" (Reading, 120), collections created by other designers can share a unique perspective. Having the chance to see the connections that others make and the way the creative process works for different people allows designers to learn from one another. Collaborative pin boards could also be very helpful in this area. Studies suggest that "creativity benefits from social interaction, or networks, because it increases the potential to generate and validate potential solutions so as to determine their appropriateness" (Budge, 46). Many artists and designers are now participating in blogs and online communities as a way to collaborate with others and achieve a more social approach to creativity.